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Hedgehogs
The hedgehog body
Hedgehogs have spiky hair. The spiky hairs are called spines. The spines cover most of their body and their short tail.
The face and tummy do not have spines.
What are their spines?
Photo from Pexels is in the public domain.
They have sharp teeth and their feet have sharp claws.
They do not see well, but they can hear and smell well.
Which parts of their body do not have spines?
Where do they live?
Hedgehogs live here in the United Kingdom and in other parts of the world.
For image credits see bottom of the page.
You may see them in woods and in parks.
Where do they like to live?
Image by Tero Laakso. It is a screenshot of Tero Laakso's video via Flickr and licensed under CC BY 2.0.
You may even find a hedgehog in your garden!
How do they live?
In the summer they spend most of the day sheltering in a nest of leaves and grass.
They come out at night to look for food. Their good hearing and sense of smell helps them to find food.
Photo from Pexels is in the public domain.
When do they look for food?
In the winter there is not much food for hedgehogs to eat, so they go for a long sleep. They sleep between November and March. A hedgerow is a good spot for their long sleep as it gives them a lot of shelter.
What helps them to find food?
Why do they go for a long sleep in winter?
Why do they go for a long sleep in winter?
What do hedgehogs eat?
They eat slugs, snails, worms and birds' eggs.
They eat slugs, snails, worms and birds' eggs.
A slug and its reflection
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A snail
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Hedgehog babies
Hedgehogs are mammals so they give birth to babies.
The babies drink their mum's milk.
The babies are tiny. Their mum's milk helps them to grow.
Baby hedgehogs are called hoglets. They are born with soft spines. The spines grow harder as they grow older.
This is a young hedgehog.
What are baby hedgehogs called?
How do the spines feel when a baby is born?
How do the spines feel when a baby is born?
Fabulous facts
Hedgehogs can climb and even swim!
Credit: iStock.com/Sans-Film
If they are attacked, they roll into a tight ball. As a ball just their spines stick out. The spines hurt the attacker.
What do they do if they are attacked?
Image credits for UK map: By Source:File:British Isles all.svg by CnbrbFile:United Kingdom countries.svg by Rob984Derived work:Offnfopt - United Kingdom countries.svg,
Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.